Grip for cable railways



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. HELLI'NGS. GRIP FOR-CABLE RAILWAYS.

,055. v Patented N0vf24, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.- HELLINGS. GRIP FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 331,055. PatntedNovrZ l', 1 885.

"All! OHN. HELLINGS, on PnILADE PHiA, PENNSYLVANIA.-

q RlPiF Q R CABLE H 1 LvvAYe. g'

" SPECIFICATION Application filed August 13. 55.

To aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN HELLINGS, a-citi zenof the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Grips for Cable Railways, of which the following is a specification. i

The main-object of my invention is to so 1 construct the grip and grip frame or carrier of a cabl e railway car, first, that the grip may yield in-any direction to accommodate itself to the irregularities of the slot in the conduit; second, that the strain will be on the carframe and not on the car-axles, as heretofore.

and, third, that the grip will take hold of the cable gradually.

In the accompanyingdraw'ings, Figure 1 is a-longitudinal section-of part of a car and conduit providedwith my improvements;

parts of the gripping device.

Referring to Fig. 1, A- is the body of' the car, B B the axles, and O the ordinary traction-whee1s. -D is the conduit, and E the cable by which'the ear is to be propelled. A

1 frame, F, ishung to the twoaxles B .B, and

through an opening, f, in this frame F passes the frameG, carrying the grip, this frame having two supporting-lugs, g g, provided with pivoted shoes h, which-bear on the frame F, as shown in Fig. 4. The cavity in the frame F is large enough topermit the frame G to have such freedom of movement or play as the irregularities in the conduit may demand. I connect this grip-frame G to the body of the car, as I will now proceed to describe. Attached to cross-beams a a, near each end of the car, are brackets H H, (more clearly shown in Fig. 5,) which are each composed of two side plates, t t, and the crossbar j. To the cross-bar j is adapted a roller, k, on a frame, K, which is secured to a box, L, containing a spring, m, between the cap 1 of the cylinder and the head it of a rod, N. To this rod is pivoted a lever, M, the arm 6 of which is connected to the top bar, 1;, of the frame G by a rod, q, while the arm 6 of the lever M is connected to the lower end of a lever, P, by a rod, 1. The lever P is conforming part of Letters PatentNo. 331,055, dated November. 24, eas;

SerialNo.17 '4,237. (No model.) v

-' nected to a similar lever, B, on the opposite.

side of the frame by. two connecting-rodas s." The lever l? is connected to the lever M at the .155 eorrespondingend of the car in the same man her as the lever P, the several partsabovedescribed being duplicated at the opposite side I of the frame G. l

It will be seen that the aboverdescribedoo parts, constituting a movable carrier-for the frame G and its grip, allow sufficient play L in any desired direction, while the pull will: be from the bracket H, which is secured to the body of the car,'and not from the axle, as is usual. Furthermorawhere the'grip is car- 'riedby-the axles the friction thereon interferes materially with their rotation. The springs m take up part of the strain in start, ing-thecar, andalso keeptherollersk of the frames K in contact with the rods j of the frames H. h The grip proper is composedof a frame R, and slide ,8, the frame R (carrying. one setofgripping-rollers) being stationary and secured, to the frameG, as described hereinafter, while. the slide S is adjustable to move its rollers toa ward or from thoseof theframe-R. The slide S is maised and lowered in-suitable guides in v the .upright arms 0 eof the frame R by means of ,a chain-wheel, '0, having its bearings inthe frameG,--andi-having a threaded hub for the reception of a screw-threaded stem, T, d e tachablysecuredto the slide S. -The chain-1 wheel '0 is-under the control of the attendanton the platform of the car through the medium of the chain t, passing around a chain-wheel",

u, at the lower end of the upright shaft, which is provided at its upper end with a suitable hand-wheel. The screw T passes freely through 0 the bearing-blocks w w, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the latter resting upon the frame G, while the block w rests on thechain-wheel c, and is held in place by a plate, W, Fig. 7. Between this plate W and the top bar, 19, are interposed two or more springs, 00, preferably of rubber, and on these springs bear setscrews g, which pass through the bar 1). This yielding connection between'the slide S and the frame G in an upward direction is for the purpose of allowing any projections or irregularities in the cable to pass through the grip without affecting any of the working parts of the grip.

The frame R of the grip is attached to the frame G in the following manner: The frame G is recessed, as shown in Fig. 8, for'the recepticn of the upper ends of the arms a c of the frame R, and two pins or studs, 2, projecting from the frame G, are adapted to suitable orifices in the upper portion of the arm 0. These studs thus support the grip, and four turn-buckles, 3, pivoted to the frame G, overlap the arms 0 of the frame It, and-securely lock the frame It to the frame G. I

I prefer to construct my grip in the manner describe din order to allow the ready removal of the frame B and slide S when repairs are necessary, as all that has to bedone is to throw back the turn-buckles 3, when the frame R and slide'Scan be then withdrawn laterally and 1 removed from-the, slot, and can; be aseasily replaced when required.

-It*'wil-l be seen on referring'to Fig. 6 that the-screw-stem l is detachablyconnected to the slide Sby means of a notchedflange, 10-, adapted to fit'over a head on the lower end of '-the stem' T.' The frame'R is provided withza series; of rollers, 4- 4 and 5, the two end roll- 5 tral roller, for the purpose of carrying the cable, suitable partitions or bearing-plates, 6, being placed between adjacent rollers.- lhe slide S- is'also supplied with rollers 7 7, opposite the bearing-plates; but these rollers aremounted eccen'trically for a: purpose which I will nowdescribe. Y

In starting the cable car the'grip should: notcompletely grasp, the cable immediately, as the shock would jolt the passengers in the car, but a'steadygradually-increasing grip is required, so as-to start the car slowly at first,-

ing the cable-grip, thenlevers -M=.M, connect--v 3 and increasing its speed by; increasing thehold on; the cable. By having the rollers-4 40.4c and 5 on the frame R and the rollers 7 on theslide S, as soon as the slide Sis-lowered. intocontact with the cablethecaris gradually mo .ed forward, owing, to the I intermittent.

gri ping and releasing movement of. the ec-. centric'rol1ers7; but when-the speed of the; car nearly equals the speed of the; cable theslide S can be moved downward: to-such. an

extentthatathe rollers'T-are unable to-revolve; I

and the grip ,isthus gradually secured to the of-themablea ers,=.4 4, preferably being larger than the cen-/ cable; without the usual fliOfiOll'flDd-L tearing with anti-friction rollers and intermediate plates, 6 6, and the other having eccentric rollers immediately opposite said. bearingplates, substantially as described. 2. The combinati'onof the frame G, carrying the grip-frame R, the slide S, mounted in the frame R, and a: yielding connection be tween the slide andthe'frameG, asand for the purpose described. I p 1;

j, 3. The combination of thegframe G with the grip-frame'R, having arms-cc, the frame; G having pinsonprojections- 2, adapted to; orifices in the arms a, and turn-buckles 3, for securing the frameR to the frame G, substantially, as set forth.

and its axles and a frame,--F, with a'frame, G,- suspended from the frame F, but connectedto the body of the car independently of the frame F and axles, substantially, in: the manner described.

5. The combination of the frame 0, are;

ing the cable-grip, with thebrac-liets :H- and frames K, the levers M, connected to the frame G,-andayielding- Iconnection. between the levers-Maud I the framesK, substantially as set forth. v 6.- The combinationaof theframe-G, carrying-rods q q, levers]? P, and bracketsH H, .havingia-bar, J, supporting,the-rollersk; the saidrollers being connected to the levers M, substantially as-hereinset' forth. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspeci-fieation inthee presence 01 two subscribing witnesses. I p I g Jounnniinmesa Witnesses: I I

WILLIAM: F; 7 Davis, HABRY SMITH.

. -1175 4. The-combination of the frameofthe car. 

